Georgia’s starting running back Nate Frazier missed last week’s game against Oklahoma, and there’s a chance he could miss their next matchup this week against Vanderbilt.
Frazier is questionable to play according to Thursday’s injury report, so there is a chance he could play this weekend. Kirby Smart however might be better off keeping him on the sideline for the second game in a row.
Georgia needs Nate Frazier more in the future
Georgia doesn’t need Frazier to beat Vanderbilt this weekend. They are nearly four touchdown favorites over the Commodores, and that’s with Vegas already knowing there’s a chance he won’t play this weekend. In theory Georgia’s chances to beat Vandy would go up if he played, but their chances of winning are already so high that him playing likely wouldn’t change the final score.
It might seem like an easy choice for Kirby Smart to let Frazier play though if he is healthy. He already missed one game, so if he’s good enough to play some people might think it doesn’t make sense to sit him again. Georgia’s goals however are much larger than beating Vanderbilt, they are looking to make a run at a championship. They need Frazier in order to accomplish that, so to put themselves in position to win long term it might make sense to rest him this week so they can make sure he’s fully healthy.
Next week Georgia begins a difficult four game stretch that features three games against teams currently ranked in the top 10. Georgia needs Frazier for this stretch, so since they don’t need him to beat Vanderbilt it might be a better idea to keep him sidelined to ensure he is healthy for their game at Alabama next week.
Georgia’s RB depth has already proven to be good enough
The good news for Georgia is that they have plenty of depth at running back to survive without Frazier. They also already have experience playing without him when they excelled last week without him against Oklahoma.
Dwight Phillips led the way with 84 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Chauncey Bowens also had a big day with the two touchdowns he punched in for the offense. Then there is Gunner Stockton who hasn’t run the ball much this season, but he’s proven time and time again that he can be effective on the ground if he needs to be.
Georgia needs Frazier if they want to win a national championship, they don’t need him against Vanderbilt. Even if he’s essentially 100 percent healthy it still might make sense to keep him sidelined for this game that way Georgia can guarantee he’ll be ready to go against Alabama next week when they need him on the field.
Georgia’s next injury report will come out Friday night and he more than likely will still be in the questionable category. He also will probably end up being a game time decision Saturday morning again this week, so fans probably won’t know if he’ll play against Vanderbilt or not until the offense takes the field for the first time.
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